Huntington Tour

Well the time to leave is getting close! We made a video to show what our life in Huntington is like to show to our host family in Manila, and to document this town that we have lived in for the last few years.
Enjoy!

-Colin

A poem... sorta.

Once upon a time,
There was a little rhyme.

It was gracious and cute,
with class to boot,
looking for friends to recruit.

It spoke on behalf
of missionary staff
moving to Manila to live.

In order to go,
The reader must know
that some happy soul must give.

So please if you will,
out of your charity to spill
finances for Colin and Rachel.

www.wycliffeassociates.org/links/donatenow

The Parable of The two Debtors

Hey everybody,
This past Sunday I had the great honor of being able to teach at the 509 Community the passage Luke 7:36-50. The recording is available at the following link if you would like to listen to what I had prepared.

http://www.509community.com/audio/audiofiles/download.php?filename=Sunday_05_22_2011.mp3

It was a great week of preparation. I learned a lot this week through preparing to speak. The ending was really hard coming, and it was really awesome to see how God just taught me that its not about me wrapping up things perfectly and neatly, and that I should leave room for people to approach the text as well.

Enjoy, and thanks for listening,
Colin

Thrill.

This is both an illustration of what the rapture MIGHT have looked like yesterday (inside joke to my fellow 509ers), and an unfortunate image to enhance the following overused roller coaster metaphor. Perhaps with this in mind, you will excuse the cliche. If not, just enjoy the look on left front guy's face.

I woke up from a nap this afternoon with an anticipation that felt like a burning in my stomach and chest. You know that feeling when you are waiting in line for a rollercoaster? …or the one you get as it is clicking its way to the peak of the first major drop?

Thrilled.
I am THRILLED.

All of a sudden I am uncontrollably, unimaginably excited about this move to South East Asia. Before, I was just trying to survive my final semester of classes. Now, my body is buzzing with an adventurous spirit born out of a holy trust.

I trust God.

This realization was so blissful that I could not imagine going back to sleep. I had to share it… with my family, with my friends, with those who I have yet to meet in person, and with those who also are on a path towards submitting their lives to Christ.

HE has reminded me that there is nothing that I can do to earn His blessing. As much as a strive to do things on my own, and as much as I despair when they inevitably fail, He provides in His perfect timing.

It was a silly yard sale.

I poured all of my time and energy into a community yard sale this past weekend. Many people from the 509 donated items to sell as a fundraiser for our missions work. I drove 5 hours to and from my hometown to retrieve an SUV laboriously packed of things to sell by my father. I woke up very very early after late nights of organizing to haul out tables from the church’s basement and boxes of stuff to display. Friends came to help despite the early morning and the heat.

Not many people came. Many people sloooooowly drove by to check out the sale… and then kept going. I was very discouraged. I felt like a failure. I wanted to take the financial provision for the move into my own hands. Hear this, I’m not saying that partnering with God is wrong. He graciously chooses to involve us in the unfolding of His plan. What I am saying is that when we expect to be blessed because of our own labor, we labor in vain.

God gives because He loves… not because we have found a formula for blessing.

So we wait. We pray and we wait. We labor in love and not in expectation.

It is amazingly freeing to realize that this adventure’s success is not going to happen because of my striving. Colin and I are on a rollercoaster of God’s design, and we are going exactly where we should be.

Goodbye classrooms, HELLO Monsoon Studio!

I am officially DONE with my on-campus course work.

I have put together an emotional series of images to best express my joy.

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Try to to cry.

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I will no longer be paying a billion dollars to sit in a windowless class room.

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My grim determination has paid off.

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I am a victorious... and about to get buff because I will finally have the time to work out.

 That is all.
-Rachel

Tax Deductible Contributions

Hello Everybody!

The day many of you have been waiting for has finally arrived!
If you would like to receive a tax deductible receipt for your contribution to our trip,
go to this link:

Wycliffe Donation Form

In the box that says "My Commitment To", write in Colin & Rachel Whitehurst in the Wycliffe Associates name line. and add the account # M10358 to the line that says Ministry Account #.

Thank you to all those that have supported us already! It is awesome to see God providing through our brothers and sisters! Also Thank you to those that have pledged and and to support us in the future. And those of you praying, we couldn't do it with out you!

Thanks!
Colin & Rachel

Audience

So our Blog has a cool stats feature, and we can see what countries people are reading our blog from.
Here is what the stats report:

United States 835

Germany 30

Senegal 18

Malaysia 14

Philippines 11

Canada 8

Japan 7

Hungary 6

Russia 6

Saudi Arabia 2

We Know of some friends in most of these locations, but we were wondering who we knew from Hungary, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. If you have checked in from one of those locations, let us know who you are by commenting on this post! 


We are exited to know we have global readers, and we would love to know that there are people praying for us around the world. Also we would love to pray for those around the world, So go on a head and send us your prayer requests as well!


Thanks, 
Colin

Soooo... you'll be where?

Here is our schedule (in case you were wondering):

June 23 to July 6, 2011 - Manila, Philippines - Orientation

July 7 to October 7, 2011 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - Orientation to Malaysia and Projects

October 8, 2011 to January 25, 2012 - Manila, Philippines - Wrap-up and Debrief

We couldn't be more excited! It's getting close! We still have a lot of funds to raise. Please pray about partnering with us financially. If you feel called, please click the "donate" button at the top right of the page.

Thank you and God bless!